Diaspora Issues
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-26
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Noel McCarthy (FG), Cork East

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I thank the Ministers for their hard work and dedication in the area that is of major importance to Ireland. The diaspora across the globe represents the very best of our country on a community, cultural, business and sporting basis. I acknowledge that the ESP is a very important support for Irish diaspora groups and has proven to be enormously popular. Almost 600 applications were received before the ESP deadline in early February. With that in mind, I ask the Minister of State when successful applications are expected to be announced and funding allocated? In addition, the recent EU trade deal with Australia and the Government action plan on market diversification with no doubt only further expand Irish communities and businesses abroad. Taking this into account, will the Minister confirm whether the Department plans to extend our diplomatic reach to new areas by opening new embassies or consulates in countries or areas in which Ireland has not previously been represented?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-26